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Monday, December 14, 2015

South Panthers Beat Capital Selects

Photo: Purple Moose Media

The South Panthers have taken another step on their march at the NACRA championship with a 41-32 win over the Capital Selects. Next up for the Panthers is a match on January 9th against The Bahamas. For the Capital Selects it respondents their latest emergence into select play after earlier playing an Empire Select Side.

Several players to stand out for the Panthers include MVP Ron Omondi from Atlanta Old White, Chance Doyle and Jeff Reuther from New Orleans, Nick Kuhl from Rocky Gorge, and Amir Khan from Detroit (yes, not from the South but that's okay). For both teams it was an opportunity to expand their high level playing pool. A major emphasis over the last World Cup cycle was to get top players more high-level matches. The South, Capital, Texas, NorCal, and SoCal are all regularly playing representative rugby.

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The Capital Selects got out to a 12-0 lead on the back of tries from Kuhl and Alan Rhodes before Reuther and Omondi scored for the Panthers to level the score. The Selects would continue their strong play with a try from Justin Bourgeois to lead 17-12. A penalty from Matt Hughston put things close with a penalty to make the score 17-15 at the half.

In the second half Reuther would score again for the Panthers. Kuhl would then do the same for the Capital Selects. A penalty would put the Selects up 27-22 setting up a comeback for the Panthers. Khan, who was identified at a National Tracking Camp, was big for the South scoring two straight tries to put the South in front 41-27. Alex Diegel had a late try for the Capital Selects.